The departure of the Greek ministry of Culture's Giorgos Didaskalou comes amid a broader reshuffle of long-serving government officials and follows developments linked to Greece’s urban planning corruption scandal

The departure of Secretary General Bakoyannis and the death of Deputy Minister Nikos Tagaras have left Greece's environment ministry in a vacuum, just as a decades-in-the-making planning reform enters its most critical phase.

The resignation of a senior Environment Ministry official comes as Greece advances major planning reforms amid corruption investigations and institutional change

The Hellenic Hoteliers Federation warns that the proposed tourism spatial framework could impose broad restrictions that overlook local needs, while calling for policies that support sustainable growth and fair competition

The proposed framework therefore appears more favorable toward tourism development than the existing regime, even though the island needs strict rules in order to preserve its identity

A new spatial framework introduces stricter building limits, coastal protections and controls on short-term rentals amid concerns by some quarters over overtourism, environmental impact

The Greek environment ministry has put forward sweeping planning reforms that would allow construction in protected natural areas, while also extending deadlines for legalizing unauthorized structures across forests, parks and ski resorts.

Contemporary Greek life still refuses to connect itself to the public sphere. Not only does it decline to respect or care for it—it appropriates it, shrinking it in the process.

Decades of unchecked growth have turned Greece’s cities into sprawling heat traps, a new University of Athens study warns

Athens officials criticized the prime minister’s plan to strip municipalities of authority over building permits, calling it a move that sidelines local government

Athens plans to transfer local planning services to the national land registry from 2026, sparking fierce opposition from mayors who see the move as a threat to their authority

This move is designed to protect both property rights of landowners and the demographic sustainability of rural areas.

According to the evidence gathered, the fraudulent documents featured forged signatures, including that of a retired civil engineer who was allegedly suffering from dementia